Rail joint



July 23, 1929. J. A. MCGREW i RAIL JOINT Filed April 6, 1929 xiiy W y f4 1% Patented July 23, 1929.

UNITED STATES JOHN A. MCGREW, 0F ALBANY, NEW YORK.

RAIL JOINT.

Application mea April c, 1929. serial Ne. 353,136.

This invention relates to joints for railroad rails and more particularly to a combination joint and tie plate construction.

It is a. general object of the present invention to provide a novel and improved form of rail joint.

More particularly it is an object of the invention to provide a rail joint in which the ljoilnt plates are secured to the rails by a single One of the features of the invention com* prises the use of extremely short joint plates, each having a lower flange overlying and extending beyond the rail base and being secured to the tie plate.

Another feature of the invention comprises a rail joint in which overlying flanges on the joint plates are resiliently secured to a tie plate.

Still another feature of the invention comprises the use of joint plates which engage beneath the heads of the rail ends only adjacent the ends and which engage the rail bases only near vthe ends of the joint plates and in which f the joint plate flanges which overlie 'the rail bases are secured at their outer edges and ends to a tie plate.

Other and further features and objects of the invention will become more apparent to those skilled in the art upon a consideration of the accompanying` drawings and following specification, wherein is disclosed a single ex-u emplary embodiment of the invention with the understanding however that such changes may be made therein as fall within the scope of the appended claims without departing from the spirit of the invention.

In said drawings:

Figure 1 is a section on line 2 2 of Fig. 2 with the left hand joint plate shown in par-y tial section on line 2a of Fig. 2;

Figure 2 is a side yelevation of the rail joint;

Figure 3 is a section on line 3-3 of Fig. 1; and

Figure 4 is a section on line 4 4 of Fig. 1.

The present invention contemplates the provision of a rail joint of a novel character in which, contrary to the usual practice, the abutting ends of the rails are positioned over a tie and are supported on a tie plate.

Splice bars or joint plates are used, but

they function not in the customary manner,HK

in an attempt to provide a continuous beam effect at the joint but by the provision of a true simple beam by causing the joint plates to rest on the rail bases only near the ends of the joint plates and by having them engage under the rail heads only adjacent the ends of the rails. In this manner thewear incident to the usual movement between parts isvery materially reduced and the joint lasts longer as well as being more rigid during its useful life.

The joint is combined with a tie plate and fastening means inv order that the whole may be secured to the tie over which `the, joint is made. The tie plate canbe provided with any conventional means for permittingit to be secured to the tie, land springv means .are provided to engage between the tie plate and the overhanging iianges onthe joint plates to secure the rails down to the tie.

Referring to the drawingit will be seen that thev joint is made above a tie plate 10 so that the ends 11 and' 12 of the rail sections 13 and '14 rest above the center of the tie plate and are spaced apart the amount required byl the necessary allowances for expansion and contraction. portion beneath the rail bases and the thinner edge portions 15 which may be perforated as The tie plate has a thickened l at 16 to receive spikes or lag screws for atj character 18. They fit in the fishing spaces of the rails and each has a thickened bulbous head 19 the upper surface of which has the ends chamfered away as at 2O sothat the only engagementwith the rail ,headsV is between the'points indicated by the reference characters 21 or, in the words of the claims only near Y the rail ends. At their lower edges the joint plates have the integral flanges 22 which overlie lthe rail bases and extend some distance beyond them where they are reinforced as at 23. These flanges are cut away on their under surfaces between the ends as shown at 24 in Figure 4 so that they engage the rail base vonly between thepoints 25and the ends of the plates as at 26. Thus the joint plates are j supported only at their ends. v

The more or less three-point contact between each splice bar and its corresponding rail portions causes the splice bar tovact as a simple beam supported at its two ends and carrying a load at its center. In this manner the whole rail and splice member assembly is not relied on to act as a continuous beam and much better results are attained. o

The joint assembly is adapted to be secured down to the tie plate by resilient keys.` Toeffect this the tie plate is provided with a pair of ribs 27 which extend vertically upwardly at the junctions between the thickened portion and the thiner edge sectionsand extend for the full width of the tie plate. They are each provided with the inturned or overhanging head Vportion. 28 which extends partially over the bulbous reinforcing rib 23 at the lower endge of the flange on the corresponding joint plate as clearly shown in Fig. 1.

A pair ofspring keys is provided to secure each joint plate flange to the tie plate. Each key is formed ofv an angularsection of spring steel having thesubstantially verticalI wing 30 and the inclined wing 3l at an obtuse angle to the vertical one. When positioned as shown in Fig. 1 the edge 32 of the Ainclined wing bears on the face of the joint plate flange above where it rests on the rail base. The

-upper face of this portion 31 bears under the tip edge 33 ofthe overhanging head portion 28 ofthe rib while the bottom face 34 of the vertical wing 30 bears on a specially prepared inclinedv surface 35 on the tie plate beneath Ythe overhanging head 28.l The inclination of the surfaces 35 is shown best in Figure 3 and the corresponding inclinationy of the edge faces 34 is shown in Fig. 2. Two of these-keys cooperate with each rib as shown in Fig. 2 so Y'that as .they'are driven inwardly theV correspondingly inclined portions 34 and 35 raise the vertical wing 30 and cause a flexure of the wing 31 about the fulcrum edge 33 sothat a considera-ble pressure results on the upper face' of the flanges 22 adequately securing the whole joint assembly to the tie plate. It is further to be noted that these resilient keys bear onthe flanges 22only above-theportions of the flanges which bear on-v the rail bases.

The joint plates are held within the fishing spaces of the rails by means of the single transverse bolt 40h-ailing the head 41 bearingagainst one joint plate andl receiving on the other end the lock washer 42 and nut 43. Preferably the bolt passes through a hole formedl byv two arcuate notches 44 in the ends of the rail 'webs and clears these webs. It is preferable'to have more or less elliptical hol'es 45 in the joint plates for the passage of the` bolt.

The combination joint and attachment device just described is extremely simple toA apply since but one bolt must be inserted and the four keys can readily be driven with a vsledge to not only forma tight joint but can be so adjusted as to accurately effect gauging of the rails without requiring that the spikes or-bolt-s securingA the tie plate to the tie be withdrawn whichv effects a great saving in tiessinee each. timea regauging take place joint and in addition to its low cost yoffers f much improved service.

Having thus described the invention, what i is claimed as new and desired to be secured by Letters Patent is:

l. In a rail oint,r in combination, a tie plate having a base and an overhanging rib, abutting rail ends on said plate, joint plates secured to said rail ends, said plates being of a length substantially equivalent togthat of the tie plate, flanges on said joint plates overl-yf ing the rail bases, one of said flanges being beneath the overhang of saidE rib, and a key between said rib and overhang. Y

2. In a rail joint, in combination, a tie plate adapted to be secured to arsingle'tie and to receive the abutting ends of a pair of rails, a rib on said plate on each side of the rail bases and havingI a flange overhanging toward the rails, joint plates in the fishing spaces of the rails, flanges onsaid joint plates substantially abuttingv rail ends, a pairV ofV joint plates, said joint plates engaging the fishing surface beneath the rail heads only' near the rail ends, flanges on said joint plates overlying the rail bases and engaging said bases only remote from the rail ends, a single bolt securing said joint plates together and passino' between said rail ends, a tie plate beneath saidl rail ends and spring means alone clamping said joint plate flanges to the tie plate.

4. In a: rail joint, in combination, a tie plate, means therein Vto Vreceive fastening means to secure vsaid plate to a tie, a thick central portion adapted to receive the bases of rail ends, joint plates in the fishing spaces of said rail ends and bearing beneath the heads only at their ends, flanges on the joint plates bearing on the bases only at the ends of the flanges and means resilientlyfsecuring said flanges to said tie plate and bearing on v-the flanges only above their bearing on the rail bases.

5. In a rail joint, in combination, a tie plate having a central portion tol receive the basesl of rail ends, joint plates for'said" rails, a single bolt holding said plates to said rails, said plates engaging under the railr headsv only at the center of the plates, flanges on' said joint plates engagingv therail bases only at the flange ends, ribs on said'tieplate having portions overhanging saidjoint plate Hanges and resilient keys between said ribs and lianges to secure the joint assembly to the tie plate.

6. In a rail joint, in combination, a tie plate having a central portion to receive the bases of rail ends, oint plates for said rails, a single bolt holding said plates to said rails, said plates engaging under the rail heads only at the center of the plates, flanges on said joint plates engaging the rail bases only at the flange ends, ribs on said tie platehaving portions overhanging said joint plate anges and a resilient key between each ribl overhang and the portion of each joint plate flange vwhich engages the rail base.

7. In a rail joint, in combination, a tie plate having a central portion to receive the bases of rail ends, joint plates for said rails, a single bolt holding said plates to said rails, said plates engaging under the rail heads only at the center of the plates, anges on said. joint plates engaging the rail bases only at the liange ends, ribs on said tie plate having portions overhanging said joint plate flanges, and a pair of keys for each flange adapted to -be driven from the ends thereof between the flange and overhang.

8. In a rail joint, in combination, a tie plate having a central portion to receive the bases of rail ends, joint plates for said rails, a single bolt holding said plates to said rails, said plates engaging under the rail heads only at the' center of the plates, anges' on said joint plates engaging the rail bases only at the flange ends, ribs on said tie plate having portions overhanging said oint plate flanges. a spring key for each end of each joint plate flange and means whereby each key engages the flange, the overhang and the tie platebase.

In testimony whereof I hereunto affix my signature.

JOHN A. MOGREW. 

